35 Responses

I hold my mom’s hand often and are always proud to do so My son used walk through the mall with his arm around my shoulder as a teenager. I was very lucky! He was never ashamed or embarrsed by me, as I never was or am of my mom/dad.

Just to state the obvious….the Obama hand holding is affectionate, not protective in nature….so you are never too old for that!! (Too bad we don’t see it more regularly) The protective/supervising type hand holding, probably stops around 10!

My 11 year old, 6th grade son not only STILL holds my hand, but hugs and kisses me in public…IN FRONT OF HIS FRIENDS.I am glad that he is not ashamed to tell the world that he is proud I am his mum. Shame that we are even discussing what is “Too Old”

I guess one’s never to old to show a parent affection in public, but this looks like it was clearly staged. The President and his family are always trying to “look good in the public eye”. And, if one more news outlet says Michelle “stunned” in a dress, I think I’m gonna throw up.

I have 3 granddaughters at varying stages of hand holding. My youngest is 7 and will gladly hold my hand any time, any where. The next is 10 and still holds my hand but not as spontaneously as she once did. The oldest is 12 and has definitely set new hand holding barriers. If we are anywhere that her friends may see her it’s a no go. I seem to remember feeling the same as a teen and even my early 20’s. If i am lucky i think i have another five or six yrs of enthusiastic hand holding until the youngest ages out of it but hopefully by then my oldest will have come back around. Oh how i treasure that sweet hand in mine!

I’m turning 30 this year and I’m the one who often reaches for my mom’s hand when we’re out. I hope my future kids never feel embarrassed about holding my hand (although I expect it when they’re teens because teenagers hate everything)!

My 9 year old still reaches for my husband or my hand when we are out and she gets nervous or there is a big crowd. It’s good to know that she can still count on us. I never want to loose that. I don’t hold my mom’s or grandma’s but then again, I don’t remember ever doing that. I want my daughter to remember it.

I think it depends on the family, and the kids. I think its great they still hold hands! In my family no one did after the age of five or so, but now that my parents are in their 70s-80s and need assistance with walking I think it may resume.

‘The President and his family are always trying to “look good in the public eye”.’ – Shouldn’t everyone? I mean, looking and acting like you love your family can’t be wrong, can it? Clearly, the WT you see in Walmart haven’t gotten the message.

They are teenagers, if they didn’t want to hold their parents hands they wouldn’t. It;s beautiful. Im 31 and still hold my moms hands when it feels right.Dont you have something else to write about Times Union???

I don’t know about that, but I notice that the girls often have really short skirts or VERY tight pants with short tops on when they are being photographed for something. I know the one is about 14 now (and looks about 19), but she’s been doing that for years.

Hmmmm…skirts a few inches above the knees (considering how tall they are, I’m sure even that is no easy feat when shopping for skirts and dresses) and skinny jeans…they look like most every other tween and teenage girl in the US…including my 15 year old.

My mother’s soon going to be 94. Believe me, I hold her hand when we’re out together. It’s the best way I know to avoid having her do a face plant.
I guess your mom holds your hand when you’re a toddler, and again at the other end of life’s spectrum.

The one is in elementary, and the other is only 14 and they’ve been dressing like this forever. It would be one thing if they were 15…or at some public school. The older one is getting a body on her and she looks like a co-ed. They’re being photographed at the White House for the whole country to see, and the least they could do is to dress them appropriately for that one day.

With what they have access to, their mother can at least dress them appropriately. But of course, everyone loves the Obamas so they can do no wrong. And they’re…well, you know…and no one expects much from those type of people. ROLLS EYES

Umm, I’m not a fan of the Obama’s. Actually, I’m not a fan of any politicians or their families.

I just don’t think you can blame a child’s genetics for making her 5’11” at the age of 14, therefore making her look older than she actually is. She doesn’t show cleavage, she doesn’t wear an inappropriate amount of makeup for a high school freshman, and I have yet to see a “crotch shot” of her getting out of a car…So, yeah…She is dressed as appropriately as every other 14 year old girl going to church on Easter, and buys her clothes off the rack…Like her mother does at Banana Republic.

As for the rest of your comment regarding public schools, the Obama’s being unable to do wrong, and the fact that the public doesn’t expect a lot from black people…I don’t get it. *rolls eyes*

wow – I am so glad that I don’t live in the public eye. My three year old wears dresses above her knee (she’s long in the torso, and I am not buying her 6T that falls off the shoulders). All you would judge me for that? And she even sits on the floor with her legs spread wide open, and doesn’t care if anyone sees her Pinkie Pie panties.